Variants

Aiden's Decision – Stay in the Shadows

Aiden's clawed fingers tightened against the vent's metal frame.

His instincts screamed at him to drop down and rip them apart.

To end Waltz.

To tear through his soldiers.

But that wasn't the mission.

He didn't come here to fight.

He came here for Mia.

And if Waltz was making more Night Hunters…

Then Mia might already be one of them.

Aiden gritted his teeth.

He needed to find her first.

Then, and only then—would he tear this place apart.

The Escape – Into the Depths of the Dam

Aiden shot his hooks forward, attaching them to the farthest vent panel he could see.

With one sharp pull, he launched himself forward—fast.

Just as the metal shutters slammed down behind him.

"Not fast enough, Waltz."

Aiden navigated the vents, moving deeper—toward the lower levels.

The dam was massive.

A labyrinth of research rooms, prison cells, and mutation labs.

And somewhere inside—Mia.

He just had to find her before it was too late.

Waltz's Orders – The Hunt Begins

Waltz watched the vent slam shut, his jaw tightening.

A soldier turned toward him, uncertain.

"Do we send teams after him, sir?"

Waltz was silent for a moment.

Then—he smirked.

"No."

"We don't need to chase him."

He turned toward the mutated Renegades.

"He'll come to us."

"Release the test subjects."

The soldier hesitated.

"But sir, the new mutations—they aren't stable yet—"

Waltz's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I said… release them."

The soldier gulped, then hurried to obey.

In the depths of the dam, heavy metal doors began to unlock.

Aiden had gone deeper.

But now—he wasn't alone.

And the things in the dark… weren't human anymore.

Aiden's Path – The Horrors Await

Aiden landed silently inside a dimly lit maintenance tunnel.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

His glowing pupils scanned the area—his night vision cutting through the dark.

Then—his ears twitched.

A sound.

Chains rattling.

Then… a wet, slithering noise.

Something was moving ahead of him.

Something big.

Something wrong.

Aiden exhaled sharply.

"Waltz, what the hell have you done…?"

Then, from the darkness ahead—it appeared.

The first of Waltz's new monsters.

Aiden's next fight… was about to begin.

The Monsters of Waltz – Aiden's Worst Nightmare

Aiden dropped down into the chamber, his claws scraping against the metal floor.

Then—he saw it.

A monster unlike anything before.

It stood over ten feet tall, its bulging muscles twisted with infection, its veins glowing faintly green.

Its massive left arm was disproportionately large, like a Demolisher's, covered in thick, hardened flesh—a natural shield.

But its right arm was elongated, ending in razor-sharp claws, like a Goon's—built for ripping through flesh and bone.

Its legs were thick and sturdy, like a Charger's, designed for brute-force speed.

Its head… was a nightmare.

A distorted Volatile-like maw, split open at the sides, revealing rows of jagged, rotting teeth.

But what made Aiden's blood freeze—was its eyes.

Not red.

Not human.

But sickly yellow, glowing with an unnatural intelligence.

It wasn't just a mutation.

It was something else.

Aiden barely had time to react before more movement caught his eye.

The Volatile Bombers – Living Explosions

From the darkness, they came running.

Volatiles—but wrong.

They moved strangely, almost erratic, their bodies twitching with uncontrollable energy.

Aiden's pupils narrowed.

Their chests were swollen, pulsing with sickly yellow veins, as if something was trying to escape from within.

Then—one lunged at him.

Aiden instinctively swung his claws, but before he could land a hit—

It embraced him.

Not like a strike.

Not like an attack.

A full-bodied hug—wrapping its arms and legs around him.

And then—it palpitated aggressively.

Aiden's eyes widened.

"Oh, shi—"

BOOM.

The Blast – Aiden's World Goes Dark

The explosion sent Aiden flying, his body slamming against a steel wall with brutal force.

His vision blurred.

His ears rang.

Pain ripped through his body.

His chest heaved, barely able to take a breath.

His entire body felt shattered, barely clinging to consciousness.

Then—something wrapped around him.

Tight.

Constraining.

Dragging him away.

The Spitter's Embrace – The Final Blow

Aiden's dazed vision flickered, and through the blur, he saw it.

A hunched-over infected, its skin covered in bulbous green spores, thick tubers protruding from its neck and chest.

Its mouth was wide open, but instead of a tongue—

A mass of writhing tendrils slithered out, coated in thick, organic mucus.

That's what had him trapped.

Then—it spat.

A hollow yellow-green substance splattered across Aiden's face.

It burned, but not like acid.

More like… a numbing agent.

His vision darkened.

His body weakened.

His thoughts slowed.

The explosion had already nearly killed him—and now, this was finishing the job.

As the blackness overtook him, Aiden's last thought was simple.

"Draemir… I hope you were right about me."

Then—everything faded to nothing.

Captured – Waltz's Expectations Shattered

When Aiden regained awareness, he was weak.

He was sitting—restrained, arms tied behind him.

His head throbbed.

His body ached.

And then—he heard voices.

Waltz and the Colonel – The Exchange

Waltz leaned in close, studying Aiden's clawed hands and arms.

His expression was neutral—but intrigued.

"Hmph… you're not the Night Hunter."

"But you're something interesting, aren't you?"

Aiden's vision adjusted, and he realized—

He was in the same room as the Colonel.

The Renegade leader sat tied to a chair beside him, breathing heavily, his veins still glowing faintly green.

And despite his weakened state, the Colonel was… laughing.

"Ha, ha… ha ha… haaa…" cough cough

Waltz arched an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

The Colonel grinned weakly, coughing but still smirking.

"I recognize those robes, Waltz."

"You just sentenced yourself to death."

Waltz tilted his head.

"Oh? And why's that?"

The Colonel leaned forward as much as his restraints allowed.

"Villedor saw someone wearing robes just like those."

"And that someone killed the thing you're looking for."

Waltz's brows furrowed slightly.

The Colonel kept talking.

"You're never going to get your precious Night Hunter back, Waltz."

"It's dead. Gone. Killed by the same thing that made this… whatever it is… his successor."

He jerked his chin toward Aiden.

Waltz stared at the Colonel.

Then at Aiden.

Then back again.

"If I were you… I'd pray."

"Because if you hurt the son…"

"The father will come."

"And not with mercy."

Waltz's Reaction – Doubt and Denial

Waltz hesitated for just a moment.

Then—he slapped the Colonel across the face.

"Spare me the theatrics."

"The Night Hunter was the strongest infected ever created. The only reason it was killed was because it was imperfect—an accident of nature."

"But I… I will evolve it beyond what the virus could ever do on its own."

He turned, staring at Aiden again.

"And you… you're an anomaly."

"Not my Night Hunter, but something… close."

Then—Waltz smirked.

"No matter. I was going to make a leader anyway."

He leaned in slightly, voice low.

"Congratulations, Colonel."

"You're going to become something far beyond the Night Hunter."

"You're going to be my perfect creation."

Waltz smiled coldly.

"Let's see who laughs at the end."

Aiden's Mind – The Darkness Creeps In

Aiden could barely move.

His body was failing him.

But in the depths of his mind, something stirred.

A voice.

Deep.

Resonant.

Ancient.

"You are not done yet."

Aiden's fingers twitched.

He wasn't done yet.

He couldn't be.

Waltz had no idea what he had just captured.

But soon…

He would learn.